Tricked (Alternative Story)
by DragonBat362
Summary: When Lucy carelessly summons an evil demon into the real world, both her haunted corn maze and all of Royal Woods is thrown into terror and chaos! Will Lincoln and Clyde be able to defeat the forces of darkness and save Halloween?
1. Chapter 1

Tricked (Alternative Story)

* * *

 **Much like Spa Gems, this is another story I've been wanting to do for a long time. However, this one has a bit of a more interesting history.**

 **Way back in October, I remember watching the commercials for Tricked! Upon seeing the final shot of Luna at the organ, saying "You got tricked!" I thought to myself, "damn, she looks demon-possessed." And when I saw clips of the Louds acting like monsters in the maze, I was like, "Whoa, have they been turned into monsters?"**

 **Of course, I'd already read the episode synopsis online, so I knew that none of this was likely going to happen. Still, the ideas lingered in my mind. So much so that I conjured up my own plot for Tricked in my head, one that involved Luna and the others getting possessed by demons and terrorizing Royal Woods. Don't get me wrong, Tricked was a very good episode (I love Luna's "You Got Tricked" song), but I still wanted to bring my alternative storyline to life. Thus, here we are.**

 **Now before we begin, I need to clarify something. Even though this is an alternative storyline, it will still be centered around the basic plot of the episode (the family hosting Lucy's corn maze and Lincoln and Clyde's plot to sneak into Huntington Manor). The first act will largely be the same as the actual episode, albeit with a few small changes and new plot elements. The second act is where things will really start to change.**

 **Okay, enough talk. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Four weeks ago…_

It was a typical day in the Loud House. And as typical days went, the Loud children were in the living room, each wrapped up in their own hobby. Lincoln was reading comics, Lily was playing with her blocks, Lisa was experimenting with some test tubes, Lola was putting on make-up, Lana was having a tug-of-war with Charles the dog, Lynn was bouncing a soccer ball, Luan was practicing some jokes with her ventriloquist dummy Mr. Coconuts, Luna was rocking out on her guitar, Leni was reading a fashion magazine, and Lori was texting on her phone. The only sibling not accounted for was Lucy, who walked into the living room, parents Lynn Sr. and Rita at her side.

"Kids, please quiet down!" Rita yelled. Once everyone was silent, she spoke. "As you all know, tomorrow is the first day of October, which means Halloween will soon be here."

All the siblings nodded.

"Well," Rita said, "We have something special planned for this Halloween."

Lucy stepped forward. "Our parents have finally given me permission to put on a haunted corn maze and I was hoping you all could be a part of it."

"So, you want us to dress up and scare people?" Lynn asked excitedly, "Awesome, I'm in!"

"Me too," Luna said.

"Don't forget us," Luan spoke for her and her dummy.

"Sure, I've literally got nothing better to do," Lori said.

"Well, it sounds like fun," Leni said, "but what's so scary about corn?"

Lucy typically didn't show emotion, but seeing her siblings agree to help her almost made her want to smile. Almost.

"Excellent," she said, before looking down at the clipboard in her hands. "Now, our first order of business: your costumes. I'm going to be the Grim Reaper. I've gone ahead and already chosen all of yours."

Leni raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you're choosing our costumes? No offensive Lucy, but I've seen all the icky stuff you like. I totes don't want to be covered in blood."

"As cool as that would be Leni, that won't be happening," Lucy gave a small, but audible "sigh" before continuing. "I've chosen your costumes based on your personal traits. You should have no problem getting into them." She checked her clipboard and began reading off.

"Lori, you bend us to your will, inspire fear in others, and from what I've heard, are considered very attractive. You will be a vampire."

Lori shrugged, "Sure."

"Leni, you have a love of fashion. You will be Marie Antoinette."

"Who?" Leni asked.

"The Queen of 18th century France," Lucy explained. "She was famously decapitated."

Leni was still confused. "But I don't drink coffee."

"Sigh." The goth girl went on. "Luna, for your energetic personality and ability to create spontaneous musical numbers, you will be a skeleton and provide our music."

"Rock on, sis!" Luna shot her a pair of devil horns.

"Luan, in your pursuit of comedy, you have a talent for being unpredictable and manic," Rita nudged her. "No offense. Therefore, you will be a mad scientist."

"Can Mr. Coconuts be my monster?" the jester asked excitingly.

"Sure."

"Yes!" the dummy (via Luan) cheered.

"Lynn, for your atheism, you will be a chainsaw-wielding maniac."

"Yes!" the jock hollered.

"But the chainsaw has to be fake," Rita added.

"Aw, mom!" the jock moaned.

"Mom, you lumber and trudge through life, exhausting all your life energy in your efforts to keep this household together. You will be a zombie."

"Sounds great, honey," Rita said. "Wait, what did you say?"

"Uh Lucy," Lincoln cut in. "Your whole plan sounds great and I'd be more than happy to help, but-"

"We're going trick-or-treating," Lola and Lana interrupted in unison.

"I too will be partaking in the receiving of sugary confection," Lisa added. "And I will be needing Lily."

Yeah," Lincoln pushed past his younger siblings and said, "And Clyde and I were planning on going together, so-"

"Kids, no one's stopping you from trick-or-treating," Rita said. "The older girls and I will do the corn maze. Lynn will be taking the rest of you trick-or-treating. Right dear?"

Lynn Sr, who'd been silent up to this point, snapped to attention and said, "O-of course honey." His nervous demeanor and stammered speech was not lost on any of the Louds. Everyone who lived in the house knew that Lynn Sr was terrified of Halloween.

"Phew," the younger kids sighed in relief.

"But we _will_ do whatever we can to help," Lincoln promised. The others nodded in agreement.

"Good," Lucy again sounded unfazed, but everyone knew she appreciated the help. "Oh, by the way, you'll all have to make your own costumes. I'll be too busy perfecting my fake blood for the maze."

With that, everyone cheered for the exciting Halloween that was to come.

* * *

 _One week ago…_

Lucy was in the hallway, checking on her siblings' process with their costumes.

She peeked into Lori and Leni's room. Lori was skyping Bobby over her computer. "Oh Boo-Boo Bear," she pined. "Halloween won't be the same without you."

"I know. I really wish I could be there, babe," Bobby replied earnestly. "But Mom won't let me miss _Dia de Muertos_ now that the family's back together."

"Oh well, just remember this," Lori said, her voice slowing to a seductive, but ominous tone. "If I hear about you hooking up with any _chicas_ , living or dead," She opened her mouth, revealing vampire teeth, and lunged at the screen, "I WILL LITERALLY SUCK ALL YOUR BLOOD!"

Lucy heard Bobby yelp on the other line.

"O-oh," he tried to stay cool, despite being clearly shaken. "I-I'll do my best."

"I _know_ you will," Lori purred, an wicked grin on her face. "Bye, Boo-Boo Bear." Blowing a kiss, she signed off.

"Ta-da!" Leni emerged from the closet and struck a pose in her handmade 18th century corset, chemise, and drawers. "What do you think?"

"Hmm," Lori pondered. "It's good, but where's the skirt?"

"Oh, I'm making that right now," Leni explained. "You would, like, not believe how big it is. Women in the old days must have had, like, huge bottoms." She quickly glanced at her own rear as if in comparison. "Luckily, I was able to find enough fabric."

"Kids, have you seen my green curtains?!" Rita called from downstairs.

Leni laughed nervously before stepping back into the closet. "I was totes never here." She shut the doors.

Lucy moved on to Luan and Luna's room. Luna was painting skeleton bones onto a black bodysuit, while Luan was sewing a costume for Mr. Coconuts.

"Yeah baby," Luna spoke in her British accent. "This Halloween is going to rock."

"Yeah," Luan chimed in, " _No bones_ about it." Both siblings laughed at her joke.

Next, Lucy looked into hers and Lynn's room. Lynn in her closet, putting together several pieces of her sports gear into a costume. "Now all I need is a chainsaw," the jock said ominously, rubbing her hands in anticipation.

Since the twins and Lincoln were going trick-or-treating, Lucy didn't bother to check on them, but she did pay Lisa a quick glance. Even though she wasn't going to be performing, Lucy still owed her a great deal of thanks.

* * *

 _Flashback._

 _Lisa was giving a demonstration out in the farmlands where the Royal Woods Halloween festival would be taking place. "And with a single dose of my insta-growth fertilizer," she pressed down on a remote and several drones flew overhead, dumping fertilizer onto the fields. In seconds, ten-foot-tall corn stalks emerged from the ground, "you have fresh produce, ready for consuming. This will put you far ahead of any and all competition." The excited farmer rubbed his hands together. "Ooh, how much, Ms. Loud?!" he cried eagerly. "Well, you can start with this," she handed him a bill. "I would also like to rent a few acres for the upcoming festival."_

* * *

 _Flash-forward_

Needless to say, Lucy had been pleased. This was so much better than the cardboard maze they'd been planned on doing in the driveway.

* * *

With her performers and maze accounted for, there was only one thing left to do. Pulling the fold-up stairs down, Lucy made her way up to her favorite spot in the house: the attic. She pushed back several boxes to reveal her séance gear, as well as a picture of a partially close late relative.

"Oh Great Grandma Harriet," Lucy said to the picture. "Halloween is creeping up on us and if I could feel, I'd be overjoyed. For the first time in my meaningless eight years of life, I'm finally going to have my haunted corn maze. I will finally be able to show the mortal realm the true meaning of fear," Lucy's deadpan voice tingled with monotone excitement. If she was Lori or Leni, she'd probably be swooning at this point. However, the goth girl's tone quickly took a downward spiral as a new feeling overtook her. "And yet," she continued. "I can't help, but feel worried. What if…what if we fail?" Lucy rarely showed signs of fear, but the sudden thought made her gulp. "What if all our efforts go to waste? I want this to be the scariest Halloween ever, but how can I, a mere mortal, possibly guarantee that, especially with such an emotionally diverse family?"

She paused and considered what she just said. "No, you're right Harriet," she said. "I shouldn't push the blame onto my family, not after all they've done to help me achieve this dream." She put Harriet's picture down and looked around for guidance. Her eyes feel on her great grandma's ancient book of spells. "Of course," she marveled. "Maybe I need to stop looking in the mortal realm for help," she picked the book up and opened it to the table of contents, "and start looking in the spiritual realm." Flipping to the chapter on spirit communication, Lucy skimmed through it, looking over page over page of potential entities to contact. Upon reaching a certain page, her body froze and her eyes went wide under her bangs. Incredulous, she read:

" _Dormus, the ancient Sumerian god of fear. Believed to have crawled out of the darkest realm in the netherworld, this fearsome entity brought chaos and fear to all those who dare fall within his path_."

The words sent a chill down Lucy's spine. Not a chill of fear though, but of excitement. In a rare example of letting her emotions take hold, Lucy threw down the book, ignoring the rest of the text, and immediately set up her séance gear. After setting up a circle of lit candles, Lucy sat cross-legged and concentrated. Breathing deeply, the young girl focused on connecting to the spiritual realm and spoke.

"Dormus, god of fear, I beg you; let this be the scariest Halloween ever to fall within the mortal realm." She paused. "And please let it happen in Royal Woods, Michigan."

Lucy felt her connection fade and relaxed her body. She turned to look at the picture of Harriet. "Of course I know what I'm doing," she said to the picture. "Besides, it's not like any of the other spells in your book ever did any harm."

Suddenly, Lucy heard a crash and a high-pitched scream from the kitchen. "I have to go, Harriet," she said. "Dad must have found my blood storage in the fridge. I have to make sure he doesn't ruin it." Quickly blowing out the candles, Lucy got up and rushed out of the attic.

When the attic door slammed shut, the room plunged back into darkness. In the dying embers of the candles, Harriet's smiling picture mysteriously turned into a frown.

The dark silence was broken by a cold, evil laugh.

* * *

 **Well, there we have it for chapter 1.**

 **\- Yes, one of the bigger changes to the episode's plot is that the setting. Honestly, that tiny maze in the Loud's driveway wouldn't have worked in my story, so I gave them an actual corn maze. It makes you wonder why Lisa hasn't made the family rich by selling her formulas and inventions in the actual show.**

 **\- From here on out, the story will be focused on Lincoln. I only focused this chapter on Lucy to establish the plot.**

 **\- If you're wondering why I included the costume-assigning part, it's because there's a scene in the actual episode that confused me. In the episode, Lucy appears to be in charge of everything. Because of this, it's implied that she dressed her family for the maze. However, what I don't get is why she felt the need to judge them as they come out of the house (saying Rita needed to lose an arm, Lori needed Fangs etc) if she already knew what their costumes looked like? She was acting like this was the first time she was seeing them, even though she supposedly picked them out/made them.** **The sequence in my story fixes the issue by stating that while Lucy assigned the roles, her family made their own costumes. Again, this is probably just my OCD at work again.**

 **Let me know what you think in the comments. See you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

Tricked (Alternative Story)

* * *

 _Six days later…_

True to their word, Lucy's siblings did everything they could to help out with her maze. With their spot at the festival booked and their costumes complete, all that remained were the decorations. And what Halloween would be complete without jack'o lanterns?

"Hey Luce," Lynn called, "Check out our pumpkins? Whaddya think?"

"Hmm," the goth girl strolled over to the carving tables and observed her siblings' work, starting with the jock's. "More blood here."

Next was Lola's, "Few more gashes on this one."

Lana's, "Knock out a tooth,"

Lincoln's, "add some more molasses to those scabs,"

And finally Luna's, "dampen the head wounds."

The rock star chuckled, "Halloween's kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you."

"Totes," Leni piped up, having finished hanging up black curtains (thankfully, Rita hadn't discovered the fate of her green ones), "I'm so glad Mom finally let you do your haunted corn maze!"

"As am I," Lucy agreed. She wandered over to Luan, who was working on the entrance sign for the maze. "Fantastic work Luan," she congratulated, "Just the right mixture of corn and gore."

"Aw _shucks_!" the young jester said, "It's just something I _cobbled_ up together from a _kernel_. Oh! Yes! A triple!" she laughed and did a little dance in celebration.

Her siblings responded with a groan and a tossed pumpkin to the head, though this did little to dampen the jester's spirit.

"I'd expect more support from my " _pump_ -kin!" she laughed from inside the pumpkin, "Get it?"

Lucy face palmed "Sigh..." Reminding herself to make a "no puns" rule for the maze, she turned to address all her siblings."Thanks for all your hard work, guys. This is goanna' be the best Halloween ever. I'm so excited."

Her face even showed a bit of emotion before going back to its typical grim state.

Lincoln turned to face the audience. "Trust me," he said. "She's excited."

"Jack-o-Lincoln! Do you copy?" Clyde's muffled voice came from Lincoln's pocket. "Speaking of the best Halloween ever," Lincoln explained, fishing his walkie-talkie out of his pocket. "Clyde and I have some pretty big plans, too. I copy, McBride of Frankenstein. Meet you at the rendezvous point in fifteen. Over."

Once he'd left the room, Lucy turned to face the others. "Okay everyone," she said. "We've only got a few hours left till nightfall." She pulled out her clipboard. "Let's see. Lanterns? Check. Fake blood? Check. Lisa, is the maze ready?"

"I checked in with our generous farmer this morning," the young genius replied. "My drones have done their job. 20 acres of fresh maize, ripe and ready for festivities."

"Good. Luna, what about lights and speakers?"

"I got Chuck hauling them in," the rocker said. "He'll have them up and running in no time."

"Good. How about your costumes?"

All the girls (plus Rita) nodded.

"Excellent. Let's get these lanterns in the van."

* * *

In the attic, the laughter had started up again. A spine-chilling cackle that was soon followed up by a voice.

"Come, my loyal subjects. It is our time again."

With a thunderous boom and a flash of light, eleven entities formed in the darkness. Transparent and made of misty light, they hovered in the air like ghosts and spoke with deep, human-like voices. Leading them was Dormus, the god of fear.

"Welcome everyone," he spoke in a cold, raspy voice. "Welcome back to the mortal realm. It's been hundreds of years, but my reign of terror can finally return."

As if on command, the ten spirits quickly bowed down to their leader. "What is your bidding?" one of them asked.

"Years of imprisonment in the spirit world have made us weak," Dormus explained. "but we shall soon be stronger than ever. The humans are about to celebrate Halloween and a young girl has asked me to make it the most terrifying."

"You plan on fulfilling her request?" one of his minions asked.

Dormus chuckled. "Indeed." He hovered over to the attic door and peaked out, watching the Loud sisters as they came up the stairs and headed for their rooms to get into their costumes.

"And I have the perfect plan."

* * *

Lisa stood on her window, wearing the upper half of her kangaroo costume and measuring the sun's decent with her protractor. "Seven minutes till sunset!" she squealed in excitement. She leaped off the window and jumped into the lower half of her costume. Thanks to her ingenuity, the suit had built-in springs, allowing the toddler to hop around like a real kangaroo, minus the physical effort.

"Siblings!" she called, hopping into the hallway. "Assemble! It's almost time for the annual ritual of deception versus confection; street name, trick-or-treating."

Lana and Lola walked out of their room, dressed respectively as Abraham Lincoln and the Statue of Liberty.

"Four score and seven pieces of candy ago," Lana recited.

"Give me your tired, your poor, your delicious treats yearning to be in my tummy," Lola added.

"Hmm," Lisa pondered. "Patriotic, but unlikely to generate maximum candy confections."

"Oh yeah?" Lola retorted. She and Lana tore off their costumes, revealing new ones. "We're also a mermaid and a pirate."

They tore those costumes off, revealing more. "And salt and pepper shakers," Lana added.

"This way we can hit each house three times,"

"That means three times the candy."

"Yes, I am familiar with basic multiplication," Lisa said, rather unimpressed. "Your strategy is cute, but mine is far superior."

"Going as a kangaroo," Lana teased. "I doubt it."

"Kangaroo," Lisa corrected confidently, "plus baby roo."

On cue, Lily popped out of Lisa's pouch and cooed, dressed as a joey.

The twins' eyes lit up as they gush at the adorable sight.

"Precisely," Lisa explained. "That 'aw' factor will increase my candy revenue exponentially." In a hushed tone, she added excitingly, "And the best part is, she only has one tooth, so I don't have to share."

As aw inspiring as it was, Lola managed to free herself with a headshake. "Snap out of it Lana," she said, snapping her fingers in her sister's face before walking over and impatiently knocking on Lincoln's door. "Lincoln! Clyde! Get your butts out here!"

The two boys emerged, both dressed fancy British suits.

"I thought you guys were going as Ace Savvy and One-Eyed Jack," Lola said baffled.

"Uh, we are," Lincoln responded nervously. "We're Ace and Jack undercover, trying to crack the case of the missing crumpets."

"Boy, you guys really don't want candy, do you?" Lisa asked flatly.

"Yeah, you're right," Lincoln said. "We probably won't get much this year."

The two boys snickered. In reality, they were setting their sights on the private neighborhood of Huntington Manor, which was said to be giving out full-sized candy bars. A pair of wealthy boys from the street had recently left for the holidays and, due to their uncanny appearances to the two, Lincoln and Clyde were impersonating them to gain entry.

"Alright, let's get some candy!" Lola declared. "Has anyone seen Dad?"

They got their answer in the form of whimpering coming from the bathroom. They barged in and discovered Lynn Sr huddled in the bathtub.

"Everything's scary," he whimpered. "I don't know why everything's scary."

"Let's go, father! Chop chop!" Lisa ordered, irritated. "These candy bags won't fill themselves Though I am working on a prototype that will do exactly that."

"Uh sorry kids. I can't go," their father stammered, desperately trying to think of an excuse. "I think I've got the flu. Or the plague. Or a Charley Horse."

"Ugh, we go through this every year!" Lola groaned as she and Lana dragged him out of the tub and down the hall.

"I don't wanna! I don't wanna!" he wailed.

"Your Dad's doing better this year," Clyde muttered sarcastically.

The group made their way outside, an extremely frightened Lynn Sr in tow.

"Hey, were are you two going?" Lola asked, upon noticing the boys heading in a different direction.

"Nowhere," Lincoln piped up. "We, uh, just decided to go through the neighborhood counterclockwise this year."  
"Seems like an odd, pointless choice," Lisa stated. "Much like your costumes."

Brushing off the comments, the two boys turned and started away from the group down Franklin Ave.

"Have fun, boys!" Lynn Sr called. He suddenly noticed something on his shirt and freaked out. "Ah! Spider web!"

"It's just a loose thread on your shirt," Lola said, plucking it off.

"Well, I guess I can't go trick-or-treating if my shirt's falling apart, right?" he asked feebly.

Lola wasn't buying it. "Nice try,"

The twins grabbed and pulled their struggling father down the street, following Lisa and Lily.

"Please don't make me go!" he cried.

"Jeez, you're a bigger baby than Lily!" Lola cried. Grabbing her father by the collar, she pulled him down to her level. "Pull yourself together! There is nothing to be afraid of!"

"Greetings, father," Lucy popped in from out of nowhere, causing the group to gasp (or in Lynn Sr case, shriek). "Mom just wanted me to tell you that we're heading out for the festival. We'll be back by midnight."

"Oh please, take me with you," he begged, before the twins pulled him out of sight. "At least bring me a candy apple!"

* * *

' _Sigh. Thank Edwin I didn't make him a part of the maze_ ,' Lucy thought as she opened the doors to Vanzilla. The goth girl was dressed in her Grim Reaper cloak, complete with a fake scythe. Taking out a megaphone, she turned to face the house. "Okay everyone, time to go. Let me see you."

Rita stumbled out of the house, dressed in a torn and bloodied version of her typical outfit. She moaned and groaned in her best zombie impression. "How's that?" she asked, switching back to her normal voice.

"Hmm," Lucy said, "not quite there. I think we need to lose a limb." She produced a chainsaw.

Rita was horrified. "NO LUCY, NO!"

"Here Lynn," Lucy passed the prop to her sister. "Don't forget your chainsaw,"

Lynn, dressed in a dirty jumpsuit, a hockey mask, and umpire gear, took it and climbed into the van.

Turning her attention back to Rita, Lucy merely pulled her mother's sleeve up over her arm, tied it, and dabbed on some fake blood. "A little homemade blood and you're good to go."

Relived, Rita laughed, "You're a real pro, honey. I should have let you do this years ago."

"That's okay, Mom," Lucy said, "I'm just glad to finally get my chance. I'm so thrilled, I can barely contain myself."

Her face twitched, but once again, nothing happened.

"I know, honey," Rita said, climbing into the van. "I can see it all over your face."

Next out of the house came Lori, dressed in a red and black tight, Gothic dress. In her best Transylvanian accent, she hissed, "I literally vant to suck your blood," and headed for the van, but was stopped by Lucy.

"Hmm, you're missing something." She pulled up her megaphone, "Fangs, here!"

On cue, her pet bat flew in and landed on Lori's shoulder, causing her to scream.

"If you wanna' make it more authentic, he could bite your neck," Lucy suggested.

"No!" Lori snapped. "I mean, this is fine." She climbed in and took her seat.

Enter Luan. The prankster was dressed in a lab coat and goggles, with a dolled up Mr. Coconuts as her monster. She gave her best evil laugh.

"Hang on, Luan. Your monster needs more stitches," Lucy drew some onto the puppet's head.

"That's _sew_ much better!" Luan joked. "Get it?"

"There will be no puns in the maze."

Luan sighed as she climbed in.

Next to come out (or in her case, stumble out) was Leni, in her completed Marie Antoinette dress. In keeping with the theme, she had her head stuffed down her dress, hence the trouble walking.

"Looks great, Leni. But don't forget this," Lucy handed her a dummy of Antoinette's head.

Popping her head out, Leni gasped for air. She stared at the fake head in confusion. "Why do I have to look so pale?"

"You've just been decapitated," Lucy answered.

Leni pouted. "Well, I'd still put on some blush." Taking a deep breath, she hid her head and climbed into the van. Lucy put the dummy head on Geo's hamster ball and placed him in with her.

Finally, there was Luna. The junior rock star sported a painted black bodysuit, skeletal make-up, and a top head as she pushed out her pipe organ for the maze.

"Ready to rock, oh, mistress of the dark," she declared and played a few keys.

"Drop down an octave and try it in D minor. That's the spookiest key," Lucy instructed.

Luna nodded, shoved her organ in the backs of Vanzilla, and climbed in.

With her cast accounted for, Lucy took her seat in the van. "Okay ladies," Rita said from the passenger seat (Lori driving since she only had one arm). "Are you all ready to scare the socks off everyone in town?"

"You bet we are!" everyone cheered in response as the van pulled out of the driveway.

"And so are we," Dormus hissed as he and his minions phased out of the attic and followed the van.

* * *

 **Yeah, a lot of this was just copied word-for-word from the actual episode, but things will be taking a new direction in the next chapter. Trust me.**

 **See you then!**


	3. Chapter 3

Tricked (Alternative Story)

* * *

 **Well, it took everything I had, but the next chapter is finally, FINALLY here!**

* * *

As the girls bounced in their seats, Lori drove Vanzilla out of the suburbs, to the field where the festival was taking place. By the time they arrived, the sun had almost completely vanished over the horizon and the fairground was illuminated by bright, flashing lights coming from the numerous rides, game booths, and performance tents. Crowds of costumed kids and families were already lined up at the ticket gate, eager to get inside.

The family quickly parked and made their way to the maze. Situated in the back of the festival, the maze easily dwarfed the other attractions in terms of its size and scale, with walls of 10 foot-tall corn stalks stretching as far as the eye could see. For Lucy, it was a dream (or in her eyes, a dark fantasy) come true.

"Bloody 'ell! Luna, is that you?!"

"Chunk!" Luna ran up and hugged her roadie. The burley rock star was dressed in an ill-fitting David Bowie costume, though neither he nor Luna paid it any mind.

"You really had me going there for a moment," Chunk said. "You're rocking that look, love."

"You don't look too bad yourself, Chunk," Luna replied. "So you got everything ready?"

"Check it out," Chunk produced a remote and pressed a button. All across the maze, spotlights sprang to life and bathed the passageways in an eerie glow.

"Got your speakers all set up too," Chunk added. "Just attach to your organ and soon the dead themselves will be rising to the beat."

"You da' man, Chunk!" Luna fist-bumped her roadie. "Thanks again for all your help."

"Yes, thanks indeed," The duo jumped as Lucy appeared behind them, her costume only adding to the creepiness of her disturbing habit. "I'll be taking that, if you don't mind."

"Aw, anything for you, love," Chunk patted the tiny grim reaper on the head before handing her the remote. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to be the first in line for chocolate waffles." He wandered off, just as the clock commencing the festival began to ring.

Lucy took charge and pulled out her megaphone. "All right everyone, the Loud Family haunted corn maze is officially open. Let's bring on the screams, people."

"Hey Luce, think you can help me get my organ into the maze?" Luna asked.

"No need, Luna," Lucy replied. "Lisa once again has us covered." She pressed a button on the remote and four of Lisa's drones flew into view, carrying a wooden platform. They landed and Luna shoved her organ on it.

"Aw man, she thought of everything!"

She began playing scary music on her organ as the drones lifted her into the air and carried her away to the center of the maze. The rest of the family entered as well, leaving Lucy to greet the guests at the entrance. As the gates open and people began spreading out all over the fairgrounds, Lucy once again felt the urge to smile, but her mouth continued to resist and remained in it's usual frown. ' _This night is going to be perfect_ ,' she thought to herself. ' _I guess I didn't need Dormus after all_.'

Little did Lucy know how wrong she was.

* * *

High above the maze, the eleven Sumerian demons watched as the Louds eagerly got into position, ready to scare.

"This is it, my friends," Dormus announced. "This is the night my eternal empire rises again."

"Master," one of his minions asked. "Which of them shall be your vessel?"

Their attention was drawn to the organ music coming from the center of the maze.

"That one," one of the other minions pointed her out. "Luna they called her? Quite the charismatic one, isn't she?"

"Yes," Dormus mused as he watched the skeletal maestro play. His eyes narrowed in wicked glee. "She's perfect!"

He flew down and entered her body. Luna jolted and froze, her eyes wide open. A second later, her pupils turned red, her brow narrowed, and her mouth twisted into a sinister smile.

"Ah," Dormus sighed as he admired his new body. He spoke in a malicious rendition of Luna's voice. "It's been so long since I've been able to do this." Turning his head to the sky, he called out to his minions, "Go, take the others! Quickly!"

"But master, there are only seven here."

"Well, then go out and find the rest of them!" he ordered. "Hurry!"

On command, the demons split into two groups, with four of them flying off to find bodies while the remaining six descended upon the Louds.

"Abandon hope, all who enter here," Lucy warned the crowd approaching the maze's entrance. "Once inside, you will be helpless to the darkness within." Before she could continue, a demon entered her body. The tiny grim reaper froze, then grinned as the eyes under her bangs turned red. She stepped aside and held her scythe over the entrance as guests began walking in.

"Cool costume Lucy," Rusty Spokes called out as the mummified boy and his friends passed by. "Hope the maze is as scary as you."

"Oh," the now-possessed Lucy sadistically muttered, "You have _no_ idea."

* * *

"Trick or treat!"

"Oh," the dark-haired woman gushed at the tiny Abe Lincoln and Lady Liberty on her doorstep. "Aren't you two adorable." She handed out candy to the twins and closed the door, only to hear another knocking.

"Trick or treat!"

"So cute!" The woman was none the wiser to the mermaid and pirate's scheme as she once again gave them candy. Another knock and she was greeted by salt and peppershakers.

"Trick or treat!"

"Great costumes," the twins received two more pieces of candy before finally leaving the naïve woman for good.

"Thank you!" the twins said as they left and headed back to the sidewalk.

"And that is how it's done," Lana gloated to Lisa. "One house, six pieces of candy." The twins high-fived while Lisa nonchalantly hopped to the woman's door.

"Trick or treat!" the tiny genius sang as the door opened.

"How sweet. A kangaroo," the owner gushed, candy in hand.  
"And a baby roo," Lisa added, right as Lily popped out and cooed.  
"Awwwww!" Overcome by the sheer adorableness of the sight, the woman dumped the entire bowl into Lisa's bag.

"Thank you!" She hopped away and said contently to the twins, "Ha. One house, eighty-seven pieces of candy."

While the kids were in the spirit, the same could not be said for Lynn Sr. He shrieked as a gust of wind hit his back. "A ghost just touched me!" Overcome with fear, he fainted.  
Pushed to her limit by her father's cowardliness, Lola grabbed him and began shaking his head. "Daddy, wake up!"

"Never fear, siblings," Lisa approached them with a wagon. "I have prepared for this eventuality." Shoving Lynn Sr inside, they began dragging him down the street, unaware of the demons closing in on them from above.

* * *

Lincoln and Clyde left Huntington Manor behind as they made off with their earnings: two massive sacks of candy (including their long sought-after full-sized candy bars) "What a haul!" Lincoln remarked, "Maybe we should take it to your house, because my sisters will pounce on it."  
Clyde objected. "Well, if we take it to my house, my dads will lock it up and only let me have three ounces a week."  
"Hmm. We need a Plan C."  
The boys buried their candy and headed back towards Franklin Avenue.

"Our hard work paid off, Clyde," Lincoln said triumphantly. "Best Halloween ever."

They high-fived and continued on, turning a corner to find a rather strange sight. Sitting in the middle of the street was an overturned play wagon and several spilled bags of candy.

Clyde shook his head. "Well, that's just sad,"

They suddenly heard a strange whimpering sound.

"Hey Clyde? You hear that?" Lincoln asked.

"Sounds like it's coming from that bush over there." Clyde pointed at a quivering bush near the sidewalk.  
Curious, Lincoln went over and pushed back the leafy branches. The figure curled up inside looked and sounded awfully familiar to him.

"Dad? Is that you?"

"Ah! Please don't eat me!" He pleaded, only to realize it was his son. "Oh, Lincoln. It's only you."

"Dad," Lincoln asked, "what are you doing?"

"I thought you were taking the twins and Lisa trick-or-treating," Clyde added.

"I-I-I was," Lynn stammered. "B-but a ghost attacked me and I blacked out. When I woke up, the girls were gone and I was alone in that wagon."

"Wait, so that's…THEIR candy?" Lincoln was baffled. "Why on Earth would they just dump it and leave it here?"

Clyde shrugged, "Maybe they just went for pee break."

"No, they'd never trust Dad to guard their candy." Lincoln rubbed his chin in thought. "Something's going on, Clyde."

"Maybe we'll find some answers at the festival," he suggested. "It's not too far from here."

"Worth a shot," Lincoln turned back to the bush. "Want to tag along, Dad?"

"Uh, n-no thanks," he sputtered. "I-I think I-I'll head on back home and h-hold down the f-fort until you find them."

"Okay then," Lincoln said as they walked off. "Try not to run into anymore ghosts."

"Or ghouls!"

"I ain't afraid of no ghosts. I ain't afraid of no ghosts," Lynn whimpered. Taking a breath, he hesitantly rose out of his hiding place.

"Happy Halloween, mister!'

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" Lynn took off running as a little girl in a giraffe costume and her parents looked on in confusion.

* * *

As the boys neared the dirt path to the fairground, things began to get even weirder. Far down the path, they could see what looked like storm clouds and hear the faint sound of thunder and flash of lightning. Both boys hugged their bodies as a sudden chill appeared in the air and the wind began whipping at their hair and suits.

"Clyde," Lincoln asked, "Why does it feel like the beginning of an ARRGH episode?"

Clyde's eyes went wide. "Maybe they can tell you."

Lincoln looked ahead, suddenly noticing an oncoming mob running up the path. The shrill sound of screaming told them what was coming and the two jumped aside to avoid getting run over by the dozens upon dozens of terrified festivalgoers. "What the heck is going on here?" Lincoln wondered out loud.

"Lincoln! Clyde!" The boy turned to see his friend Liam rushing at him. "What are you two standing there for?!" he screamed. "You've got to get out of here!"

"Wait Liam, what's going on?!" Lincoln demanded. "Why's everybody so spooked?"

Liam struggled for breath, his face pale-white and his body trembling. "Something's gone wrong with the maze!" He gasped. "Rusty, Rocky, Zach, Jordon! They went in an-and they never came out! A-and then we heard all this screaming and the lightning started and-"

"Did you call the police?!" Clyde added.

"YES!" Liam wailed, "AND THEY DIDN'T COME OUT EITHER!"

BOOOOM! A deafening roar of thunder ripped across the sky.

"Ahhhhh!" Liam screamed and ran off with the mob, leaving the two boys alone.

"Wait, what about my sisters?!" Lincoln called after him.

Just as he said that, a bolt of lightning lit up the fairgrounds on the horizon, as if the storm itself was beckoning them forward. Both boys gulped.

"Well whatever's in there has my mom and sisters," Lincoln said. Clinching his clammy hands into fists, the white-haired boy put on his best brave face and started down the path. "Come on Clyde."

Clyde did the same and walked after him.

"Good thing I have Dr. Lopez on speed dial,"

* * *

A few more minutes of walking brought the boys to the festival. The once lively and bright establishment was now dark and desolate, with all the lights out and not a soul in sight. All the attractions were deserted and bore signs of a hasty evacuation, with abandoned prizes, candy, and props littered all over the ground. In the distance, the boys could see the maze, looming over the rest of the park like a dark force about to consume everything in its path. The sky above the maze was filled with inky-black storm clouds, constantly spewing out thunder and lightning. A practically bright bolt highlighted Luan's sign hanging above the entrance.

Lincoln struggled to keep his brave face up as he and Clyde made their way over to the maze. With each step, he could feel his body grow more and more uneasy as droplets of sweat began to form on his brow. He found his eyes darting around at the empty booths passing by them, as if they were expecting a monster to jump out from any one of them. ' _Be brave, Lincoln Loud_ ,' he urged himself in his mind, ' _Be brave_.'

The sight of the maze up close wasn't anymore comforting. Much like the rest of the festival, the lights in the maze were gone and, even with their eyes having adjusted to the darkness, they could hardly see anything beyond the entrance sign. The thunder and lightning was now directly over their heads and each boom pounded at their eardrums.

"Hey Linc?" Clyde said nervously to his friend. "I know this may be a bad time to ask, but…you remember that cheesy late-night horror movies we watched at our last sleepover? You know, the one about the man-eating scarecrow? What if…" he gulped and struggled to finish. "what if it took your family?"

"Come on, Clyde, you know there's no such thing as monsters," Lincoln rather weakly assured him.

"B-but what about that trash monster Lisa made?"

 _BOOOOM!_! Both boys jumped at the sudden clap of thunder, this one loud enough to nearly deafen them. Lincoln felt hairs he didn't even know he had stand up on edge as he landed back on the ground.

"Okay, no more monster talk!" he declared. "Let's just go in, find the others, and get out of here." Grabbing Clyde by the sleeve, Lincoln passed under the wooden sign and entered the maze.

* * *

"Lori!" Lincoln called out as they walked. "Leni! Luna!"

"Keep your voice down, Lincoln," Clyde whispered.

"Lori!" Lincoln screamed louder, "Lynn! Lucy!"

The only response he got was the sound of leaves crunching under their feet.

"Maybe they can't hear us," Lincoln suggested. "Come on, we have to find them." He broke into a sprint.

"Lincoln! Think about this!" Clyde yelled as he struggled to follow him in the darkness. "People don't just disappear inside a corn maze! For all we know, we could be dealing with a murderer or something!"

Once again, Lincoln ignored him. "Mom! Lucy!"

"Oh come on!" Clyde snapped as they turned into yet another maze path. "Don't tell me you aren't scared of all this!"

Lincoln finally stopped and turned to face his friend. "Me? Not scared?! Look at me Clyde!" He grabbed his friend and pulled him close enough to where Clyde could make out his face in the darkness. Lincoln's expression was a mix of anxiety and frustration. Sweat was dripping down his face onto his collar, his neat white hair was disheveled, and his hands were cold and clammy. He was gasping for breath and Clyde could even hear the faint sound of Lincoln's heartbeat as it pounded against his shirt and jacket.  
"You don't think I'm scared?" Lincoln asked in disbelief. "Clyde, I'm TERRIFIED!" He drew the last word out. "All of my family and friends are in danger and we're just running around, getting lost inside this huge, stinkin' maze! Let me tell you something buddy, it's a good thing my hair's already white!"

He let go of Clyde and squatted, hands on his knees as he took in breath after breath. For a few moments, only the sounds of the storm could be heard. Finally, Lincoln finally tilted his head up, looking even more desperate.

"And…I…I do kinda' still believe in monsters, Clyde. I just said that stuff earlier to sound brave. You know, like Ace Savvy. I just want to find my family."

Clyde knelt down and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay bud," he gave Linc a small smile. "You know One-Eyed Jack's got your back."

Lincoln held up a fist. "Thanks man. Clincoln McCloud?"

Clyde bumped him. "For life."

* * *

"Hmmp Hmmmm"

Both their smiles faded. "Did you hear that, Clyde?" Linc whispered.  
"Yeah,"

"Hmmp Hmmmm."

They turned their heads towards the wall of corn stalks on their left. The sound was muffled and faint, but they could just make it out over the noise of the storm.

"Hmmp Hmmmm!"

"Is that…?" Linc's eyes went wide. "Is that Rusty?"

"Hmmmmmmmppp!" A new voice, equally muffled, but slightly higher pitched. It sounded like…

"Jordon?" Clyde asked.

The boys glanced at each other, both realizing what needed to be done. With no other way forward, they began pushing through the wall. Eventually, the sea of stalks ended and the boys stepped into a clearing. Both their jaws dropped at the sight in front of them.

It was a giant field, filled with rows and rows of scarecrow poles. Bound to each of them was a person. There was Rusty, Rocky, Jordon, Zach, and dozens of others, even a couple of blue-uniformed policemen. Their faces were all stark white and bore an expression of sheer terror. Their mouths were gagged, but muffled cries and whimpers could still be heard all over the field.

"Rusty!" The boys spotted their curly-haired friend bound in the front row closest to them. "Are you okay?"

Rusty could only squint his tear-drenched eyes and pitifully moan against his gag.

"Rusty, it's okay," Lincoln said. "We'll get you out of there." He and Clyde started tugging and pulling against his ropes, but they wouldn't bulge. In fact, they only seemed to tighten, causing Rusty to whimper in pain.

"Clyde, stop! We're hurting him!"

"Man, what are these ropes made of?" Clyde grunted.

"Wait a minute," Lincoln rubbed the material with his hands. It was thick, smooth, and…leafy? "These are aren't ropes. They're vines!"

"Vines?"

"Ummmm Hmmmmm," Rusty whimpered. The boys noticed that the trail of vines appeared to be sprouting out of the ground next to his pole. The same was with all the others as well.

"Wha-how?" Lincoln could only stammer. "How…is this possible?"

"Rusty man," Clyde asked. "Who did this to you?"

* * *

"Oh, Linnnnncolnnnnn!"

Both boys froze as a high-pitched voice cut through the night air like a ghost.

Rusty and the others began thrashing and screaming beneath their binds.

"Cllllyyyyyyyde!"

Lincoln was so stiff, he could barely feel his heart beat. His eyes darted over to Clyde, trembling and sweating.

"Linnnnncolnnnnn!"

' _Wait_ … _I know that voice_.' With that thought, feeling returned to Lincoln's body and he instinctively called out, "Lori?"

Nothing.

"Clyde, come on," he shook his friend, "That's Lori! She's nearby!"

The wind suddenly whipped behind them, causing them to freeze up again.

"Hello boys," came a soft whisper.

Lincoln and Clyde slowly turned. Standing in the distance, on the path in between the field and the corn stalk wall, was Lori. Her cape was drawn up over her face and her long flowing hair slowly moved in the wind. She slowly began to walk (or from the looks of it, glide since neither leg rose from under her skirt and no footsteps could be heard in the ground beneath her) towards the boys. As she grew closer, Lincoln found himself transfixed by her appearance. While Lincoln did consider his eldest sister attractive (in a COMPLETELY innocent, NON-incestuous way), he felt an almost supernatural force drawing him to her, his eyes slowly exploring her body, from her curving hips wrapped up in the tight lace of her dress all the way up to her gleaming red eyes and luscious wavy, blond hair.

' _She's so beautiful_ ,' Lincoln's inner voice droned. ' _Wait, red eyes_?'

At that moment, Lori dropped her cape.

"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU!" she hissed. Her mouth had been replaced with a giant, gapping maw filled with dozens of razor-sharp teeth.

Snapped back to their sense, the boys screamed as Lori lunged at them, jaws wide open. At the last moment, their flight senses kicked in and they dove back through the wall and onto the path. They ran, turning down several more paths as Lori's laughter echoed behind them. Finally, after what seemed like their 20th turn, they stopped and caught their breath. The laughter had faded, but neither boy was any calmer.

"Li…Li…Linc!" Clyde gasped. "Wha-what happened to your sister?!"

"I don't know," Lincoln wheezed, "but I'm not sure I want to find out anymore."

Clyde nodded, "Yeah, maybe we should-" He was suddenly pulled through the maze wall.

"Clyde!"  
"Lincoln! Help!"

Lincoln pushed through the wall and saw Clyde lying on his back in the dirt, screaming as a dirty clothed figure raised a revving chainsaw over their head.

"Lynn?" Lincoln charged and tackled her to the ground, knocking her mask off in the process. "Lynn, what the heck were you-?!"

He gasped as Lynn turned her head to face him. Her face was horribly deformed and grotesque. Staring at her brother through one squinted red eye and one red bulbous eye, she opened her lopsided mouth and let out a furious growl, drool dripping down her chin.

With a scream, Lincoln leaped backwards, landing in a pair of grey, scabby arms (or at least, _one_ arm and one bloody stump).

He looked up. "Mom?!"

Rita moaned as she tiled her head down to look at her son. One of her eyes was missing and her skin was bloody and rotting, revealing parts of her skull. Moaning and groaning, she opened her mouth, preparing to take a bite out of Lincoln.

"AHHHHHH!" Lincoln struggled to escape her locked arms. "MOM NOOO!"

"Lincoln!" Clyde ran up and yanked Lincoln out of his undead mother's arms.

As the zombie matriarch and chainsaw-wielding jock closed in on them, they were both once again pulled though the wall back onto the path, this time finding themselves in the arms of a headless French queen.

"Hi guys!" Leni's cheerful voice greeted them. "Having a fun Halloween?"

"Leni?" Lincoln jumped up and embraced his sister. "Oh thank God you're still okay. Listen, we've got to…"

 _Thump. Thump. Thump_.

"L-L-Lincoln?" Clyde whimpered, pointing to the ground. Lincoln looked down and saw a round object bounce around Leni's body before looking up towards him.

"I'm down here, Linky!" Leni's severed head said with a smile. "Are you alright? You look kind of pale."

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Lincoln spring-boarded off his sister's chest and he and Clyde off running once again. They reached a junction and took the middle path, only to find it blocked by a new threat.

"Intruders!" A bug-eyed and frazzled Luan cackled at the helm of her monster-making station. "If you think you're getting out of here, you're in for a SHOCK!"

She slammed down a pair of levers, laughing manically as her Mr. Coconuts doll was struck by lightning. The dummy opened its eyes, rose off the table, and stumbled towards the boys with outstretched arms.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Suddenly, an orange beast jumped out of the nearby corn.

"Hisssssss," growled Lisa, now sporting a snout, orange skin, and a mouth filled with sharp teeth.

"Hisssssss," growled a similarly mutated Lily from Lisa's pouch.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" the boys screamed. "WERE-ROO!"

They sprinted for the left path, only to find it blocked off by a hooded figure.

"Going somewhere?" Lucy's lower face was grey, gaunt, and bony. She swung her scythe at the boys. "No one escapes judgment!"

Two small, ghostly twins, one a mermaid and the other a pirate, rose up from the ground behind her and hissed.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Cowering in fear, the boys backed down the only remaining path. All the Loud monsters emerged into the junction, staring down their victims with glowing red eyes.

"I…I don't understand!" Lincoln wailed, tears now flowing down his face. "What's happened to all of you?!"

A sinister laugh came from behind them. "What's the matter? Too scary for you, Lincoln?"

* * *

Hovering in the air was a giant disembodied skull, with two fiery red eyes, a snarling mouth, and top hat. It's tone was sinister, but a voice too familiar to Lincoln.

"L-Luna?"

"There is no Luna," the skull cackled, lunging forward at them. "ONLY DORMUS!"

The boys screamed and leaped back, landing on their backs. Dormus laughed and vanished before appearing in the sky above his minions.

"W-what have you done to my family?!" Lincoln cried.

"I'm afraid their souls belong to me now," Dormus chuckled. He glared down at the white-haired boy. "I probably should be thanking you, Lincoln. If it weren't for your dear, sweet sister Lucy, we'd still be trapped in the spirit world."

"Wha-Lucy?!"

"Leave it to an eight-year-old to bring about the apocalypse!" Dormus laughed. "She wanted one scary night; how about a never-ending nightmare?!" Lightning flashed behind the demon as he and his minions they closed in on the boys. "Royal Woods is just the beginning. Soon, the world shall follow. The human race will know nothing, but fear for all eternity!"

He shot up into the sky, shrieking with laughter as thunder and lightning erupted from the sky.

"RUN ON HOME, LITTLE BOYS!"

All the monster Louds lunged and roared at the two.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lincoln and Clyde let out two of the loudest screams their lungs could produce and ran, leaving dust outlines in their wake.

"Master," the possessed Lucy said. "Should we go after them?"

"No," Dormus ordered. "Go back to the field and keep draining the prisoners."

Their master vanished and reappeared, full-bodied, at Luna's organ. He smiled sadistically as muffled screams began again. "Ah, music to my ears." He cracked his fingers over the organ. "I think it's time the rest of the town shared in their fate." He began playing an evil tune as the dark clouds above began to grow.

* * *

Amazingly, Lincoln and Clyde quickly found themselves out of the maze and fairgrounds. As they sprinted down the dirt road, they realized how much harder it was becoming to see and looked up. The storm clouds were spreading, quickly overtaking the boys and covering all of Royal Woods in inky blackness. Just as they stepped back onto the concrete road, the clouds unleashed a barrage of lightning onto the town. There was silence, and then…

Screaming. It started out as one or two, but then there were more and more, growing louder and louder until the sky was filled with an endless choir of fearful screaming. Trick-or-treaters were running, being chased by conjured up monsters. People were chased from their homes by possessed animals and haunted Halloween zombies, bats, witches, and skeleton decorations. It was total chaos.

"Lincoln, I can see your house!" Clyde cried.

The Loud residence came into view, getting closer and closer with each step, but the monsters had noticed the boys and were closing in on them, threatening to block their own path to freedom.

"Please let us make it! Please let us make it!" Lincoln begged. His legs were burning, threatening to melt and collapse from the continuous strain. With their window to life about to shut, the boys gathered every ounce of adrenaline their bodies could produce and, with a final burst of energy, sprinted past the monsters and into the house.

"The door!"

With a final glance out at the nightmare that had become Royal Woods, Lincoln slammed the door shut and locked it.

For once that night, he welcomed the darkness and the silence that came with it.


	4. Chapter 4

Tricked (Alternative Story)

* * *

 **Yep, your eyes aren't decieving you. I'm back! It's been one heck of a year, but I'm FINALLY back! And just in time for Halloween!**

* * *

For the first time in 17 years, the Loud House was the quietest house on the street. The only signs of life in the darkened house was the heavy breathing and panting of the two boys who'd just been through hell.

They sat against the door, having collapsed shortly after arriving home. Their suits were wrinkled, torn, and dirty from manhandling the thick brush of the corn maze, not to mention drenched with sweat. Even the act of breathing hurt, as their throats had become dry and sore from all the screaming. Their hearts pounded like jackhammers against their chests and their calves burned and throbbed. Even with the looming threat of exhaustion, neither boy was in either mood to sleep, the images of Dormus' cackling skull head and the demonic Loud sisters still fresh in their minds and guaranteed to bring about nightmares. On top of that, they could hear the sounds of screams and monster roars going on behind them outside.

"L-Lincoln?" Clyde asked, taking in breath after breath. "W-what are we going to do?"

Lincoln looked back at his friend with a hopeless expression. He wanted to say that he had a plan, but truth be told, he had no clue what to do. Everything he'd seen in ARRGH felt like a childish joke now that they'd come across the real deal and Lincoln didn't have a clue on how to conduct séances or any type of supernatural ritual. Lucy was the expert in that field, not him, and she was gone. They didn't even have Lisa and her crazy inventions. What good could two eleven-year-old boys do against a powerful demon, let alone one that had just nearly frightened them to death?

"I don't know, Clyde," Lincoln admitted, letting out a long sigh. "I just don't know." Lincoln hugged himself as a feeling of helplessness swept over his body. He wanted to be brave, but he was too scared. He wanted there to be a way out, but he couldn't think of one. He wanted his mother or his sisters to tell him things would be alright, but they were gone.

' _Mom. Lori. Leni. Lucy_ ,' Lincoln thought sadly to himself. The thought of losing them forever to Dormus was enough to bring tears to his eyes. They were out there, slowly losing their souls to Dormus while he was in here, hiding from the monsters like a scared little baby. How long would it be before they were gone forever? And how long until the monsters realized they were in here and broke the door down?

Lincoln felt a powerful urge to curl up into a ball and cry, but he knew he couldn't, not in front of Clyde. Regardless, he needed something. Something to sooth the pain.

"I need Bun-Bun," he whimpered. He pulled himself to his feet and limped towards the stairway.

* * *

Just as Lincoln was able to place his foot on the first step, something pounded against the basement door. The boys jumped back as a low growl came from the other side.

' _Oh, what now_?' Lincoln thought.

With another pound, the door flung open and out stepped a bear-sized, demonic dog.

"Charles?" Lincoln gasped.

Indeed, it was. The monstrous family dog growled as he stared at his owner through furious, bloodshot eyes. He wasn't alone. Coming up alongside him was the family cat Cliff and the family canary Walt, also both enlarged and enraged. Bearing their fangs, claws, and teeth, the trio of demonic pets pounced!

Clyde dove into Lincoln, knocking him out of the way of the attack.

"That's for the maze."

Jumping to their feet, the two boys miraculously found new strength in their legs and raced up the stairs, with the demonic pets on their tail.

"My room!" Lincoln cried as they reached the top of the stairs. Suddenly, the door to the twin's room burst open and a plethora of giant snakes, bugs, and frogs crawled out, blocking the way to Lincoln's room. "Lana's pets," Lincoln whimpered. The boys backed to the wall by the pets, all poised and ready to devour the duo.

" _Is this really how we're going to die_?" Lincoln thought. He and Clyde hugged each other and closed their eyes, hoping it would be quick. Just as they were about to pounce, a pair of hands grabbed the boys and pulled them up into the attic.

"AHH! PLEASE DON'T EAT US!" they cried.

"Lincoln? Clyde?"

Lincoln opened his eyes. "Dad?"

* * *

A light flickered on, revealing the face of Lynn Sr. He quickly slammed and locked the attic door behind them. His eyes were their normal brown.

"Oh, Dad!" Relieved, Lincoln ran up and hugged his father. "Oh thank goodness, you're okay!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that, Lincoln," Lynn said. "You would not believe what I've been through tonight! First the kids abandon me in the streets, then some plastic skeletons try to strangle me on my way home, and then the house pets try to eat my face off!"

The man sighed as he leaned back onto a box. "I locked them in the basement and came up here to hide. By the way," he pulled up a bowl of treats, "candy?"

The boys quickly took several handfuls, having suddenly realized just how hungry they'd become. They began stuffing chocolate in their mouths.

"Hehe," Lynn chuckled, "I did the same thing as a kid. Back when I actually enjoyed Halloween," He added with a shudder. "But enough about me, what the heck happened to you boys? And where are Rita and the girls?"

The boys nervously exchanged glances as they swallowed their candy.

By the time the boys had finished explaining everything to Lynn, his complexion had reached the same color as his son's hair.

"S-so let me get this straight," he stuttered, "Y-you're telling me that n-not only are g-ghosts and demons real, b-but Lucy s-summoned one and it's t-turned everyone into m-monsters bent on ruling the world?!"

"Yeah, petty much" Lincoln said. Despite the ordeal, he and Clyde had managed to reach a semi-calm state thanks to the candy.

Lynn on the other hand, started tearing up. "Oh God," he moaned, sobbing into his hands. "I knew we shouldn't have encouraged Lucy's behavior."

Lincoln walked over and patted his father on the back. "It's okay Dad. I'm sure Lucy didn't mean for any of this to happen." I mean, yeah, she's into some creepy stuff, but she still loves us, more so than anything."

"Sides, she's been possessed too," Clyde added, "So I highly doubt this is what she wanted."

Lynn wiped his eyes on his sleeve. "Well, at least you boys are alright. I think our best bet is to just stay up here where it's safe." He pulled out a box of Zombie Bran and began scooping it into his mouth.

"But what about our family?!" Lincoln asked, bewildered. Maybe it was the sugar getting to his brain, but the boy was certainly starting to get his courage back. "We can't just leave them out there."

"Well, what can we do, Lincoln? You two barely made it back here with your lives and I'm no good out there." He made himself a place on a pile of dusty blankets and laid down. "I say we just stay here and think positive. Who knows? Maybe everything will eventually sort itself out."

* * *

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Louds!"

"Is that Mr. Glouse?" Lincoln asked.

Both boys looked out the attic window. The elderly neighbor, dressed in a pumpkin-checkered robe and slippers, was standing on his front porch, fending off advancing zombies with a shotgun.

"Louds!" he shouted up to them, "If this has anything to do with you, I'm filing a police complaint!" He turned his attention back to the undead. "You're not making me into lasagna, you undead parasites!" _Bang!_ "And get your dirty entrails off my azaleas!"

The rest of the neighborhood didn't look any better. Swarms of giant bats covered the black-clouded sky and monsters roamed the streets, greedily looking out for stray trick-or-treaters. Screaming came from everywhere, even managing to be heard over the noises of the raging storm. Worst still, vines were starting to break through the sidewalk and street.

' _He's getting stronger_ ,' Lincoln thought.

The boys ducked back into the house. Clyde's phone began to ring.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Clyde!" voice screamed through the phone. "Baby, are you alright?! Are you safe?!"

"Yeah Dad, I'm fine," Clyde answered. "I'm at Lincoln's."

"Okay, thank goodness. Howie, he's okay!"

A second voice joined in on the call. "Clyde?"

"Hi Dad."

"Okay baby, don't panic. Just stay where you are and we'll come get you when we can."

There were suddenly sounds of crashing glass and evil cackling.

"Right after we deal with this goblin infestation! Harold, get the repellant!" The line went dead.

* * *

"See guys!" Lincoln exclaimed. "The longer we wait up here, the stronger Dormus gets! He's already taken over Royal Woods! Once he gets enough power, this'll spread to the rest of the world!"

Lynn stubbornly shook his head. "Lincoln, you're just having a sugar rush. You need to relax." He sat down on his makeshift bed and began rummaging through one of the boxes. "Why don't we all read some books, fill our brain with something healthy?"

"Dad, this is serious!" Lincoln yelled.

"Let's see," Lynn said, ignoring his son. "Cookbook, cookbook, family album, whatever the heck this is." He pulled out a black, dusty book and glanced at the dusty cover. " _Ancient Book of Spells_? No thank you!" He tossed it away.

"Spells? Wait a minute!" Lincoln grabbed the book and flipped it open. "I remember this. This is that old spell book Lucy tried to curse us with!" He flipped it open. "Property of Harriet Loud."

"Great Grandma Harriet?" Lynn asked. "Well, now we know where Lucy gets it from."

Lincoln ignored him as he rapidly flipped through the pages. "Let's see. Spells, jinxes, ah-ha, spirit summoning!" A moment later, he exclaimed, "I found Dormus!"

Clyde leaned on him and listened as he began to read.

'" _Dormus, the ancient Sumerian god of fear. Believed to have crawled out of the darkest realm in the netherworld, this fearsome entity brought chaos and fear to all those who dare fall within his path_."

He read on.

" _Believed to be the creator of nightmares, Dormus derives his power from the human experience of fear. Sadistic and cruel, he takes delight in driving even the most innocent of man to the brick of insanity. He has a vast array of powers, including reality warping, transfiguration, possession, and lifeforce-draining, and is always accompanied by his ten loyal followers. It is HEAVILY advised against summoning or even communicating with this demon!"_

"I'm guessing Lucy skipped this part," Lynn muttered.

"What about weaknesses?" Clyde asked.

Lincoln went on. " _Long thought to be invincible, the Sumerians discovered several ways of repelling him and sending him back to the netherworld. These defenses include virgin sacrifices, holy relics, totems, and offerings of fruits_."

* * *

"Uh-uh, there will be no sacrifices under this roof," Lynn declared, crossing his arms.

"Any relics would probably be in Lucy's room," Lincoln said. He walked over to the attic door and grabbed the handle, only to jump back as one of the pets violently pounded against it. "Well, that's not going to work." He sighed, taking a seat. "That probably rules out fruit too."

"If only we were at my house," Clyde grumbled. "My dads give out fruit every year for Halloween. They say it's nature's candy."

"Well, that explains why your house got egged last year," Lincoln remarked, only to suddenly freeze. "Wait…candy?" A huge smile appeared on his face. "Candy!"

"Uh Linc, are you okay?" Clyde asked.

Without responding, Lincoln snatched up some sweets from the bowl and walked over to the attic window. To their suprise, he actually opened the window and whistled.

"Lincoln, what are you doing?!" Lynn screamed as he dove behind some boxes. "You're letting the monsters in!"

Right on cue, a giant black bat slammed into the window seal. Clyde screamed and Lynn shrieked like a girl, but Lincoln didn't flinch. As the bat struggled to break into the room, Lincoln took aim and threw the candy, hitting it right in the chest. With a poof, the bat turned back into a bird and flew off.

Turning on his heels, Lincoln ran over to Clyde and seized his baffled friend in a crushing hug. "Clyde, you are a genius!" He cried. "This is it! This is how we're going to win!" Before Clyde could even get a word out, Lincoln began rummaging through Lynn's box fort. "Oh, look out Dormus."

"So, that your plan?" Clyde asked, still confused. "We're going to throw candy at them?"

"No Clyde," Lincoln stood up, a pair of paintball guns in his hands and a cocky grin on his lips. "We're going to shoot candy at them."

His friend grew the same expression. "Now that's something I can get behind." He caught one of the guns. "Where'd these come from anyway?"

"Ugh, I remember those," Lynn groaned. "They're Junior's; we locked them up after she and her friends shot up the house in a spring break paintball war."

"Lucky for us, Lynn takes her sports very seriously," Lincoln produced a pair of huge tanks with connecting hoses. "One more thing…"

He tore off his business suit, revealing his Ace Savvy costume. "A hero is always prepared for action," he stuck out his hand. "You with me Clyde?"

His friend responded by tearing off his own suit and slipping on an eye-patch. "Like I said, One-Eyed Jack's _always_ got your back," He proudly grabbed Lincoln's hand and shook it before eyeing their dwindling candy supplies. "But…we're probably going to need more candy."

They both frowned as they realized what they had to do.

* * *

"Okay, I think that's all of it," The two finished loading their buried candy into their ammo tanks. A few tears dripped from their eyes as they watched their precious, full-sized bars fall into the mix, but they sealed the tanks and strapped them to their backs, hooking the hoses to their guns.

"I suppose there's always next year," Clyde said hopefully.

"Next year?!" Lynn's voice cracked over their walkie-talkie. "Oh, I don't think so! I've been saying it for years, but now I'm putting my foot down! After tonight, Halloween is officially banned in the Loud House!"

The boys sighed. "Well, if this is going to be our last Halloween," Lincoln declared, "then let's at least go out with a bang!" He fired a volley of candy into the air.

Puffing out their chests, they turned to face the neighborhood.

All around them was chaos. Huge bundles of glowing vines had smashed craters all over the streets and were now spreading to cover the surrounding houses. Roaming around these ruins were monsters of all sorts; vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghouls, witches, and countless other abominations. Giant, screeching bats flew overhead while flaming jack o lanterns and lightning rained down from the sea of inky black clouds that covered the night sky. The distinct sounds of screams could be hear all around, interrupted only by the deafening boom of thunder. Undeterred, Ace eyed his partner.

"Sugar Bomb grenades?"

"Check."

"Licorice Sword?"

"Check."

"Alright," The white-haired hero cocked his gun. "Time to commence Operation: Trick or Treat!"

* * *

 **Oooh, I'm really excited for the next chapter! I've been looking forward to it ever since I started this fic!**


	5. Chapter 5

Tricked (Alternative Story)

* * *

 **I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish the story before Halloween. Oh well. Least I can do is finish it before Thanksgiving.**

* * *

Round 1: Neighborhood Nightmares.

"CHARGE!"

With sugar and adrenaline rushing through their veins, the boys rushed into the storm. The herd of monsters quickly took notice and advanced on the two, fangs, claws, and talons barred.

With pinpoint accuracy, Lincoln and Clyde opened fire.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Gumballs petted a flock of vampires, chocolate bars pounded a pack of werewolves, and malt balls besieged a cackling caravan of witches. With a poof, they all vanished into nothing.

"On your left!" Clyde yelled.

Lincoln spun and caught a sneaky goblin as it was about to pounce, bombing him with bonbons. With a shriek, he was gone. "Watch your head!"

Clyde ducked, just in time to avoid a blow from a haunted tree. He lobbed a sugar grenade into its open mouth and it was no more.

An ear-piercing screech came from above.

"Hit the deck!"

They dove for the ground, huge bat talons and fangs snapping just above their heads. Unsheathing their licorice swords, the boys sprang up and slashed the beasts, turning them back into birds.

"Back to back!"

Fighting back to back, the boys mowed down an entire congregation of monsters, leaving the street littered with plastic skeletons, bed sheet ghosts, and tacky lawn gnomes. Sugar Bomb Grenades went flying as fiery hellhounds turned back into docile pet dogs and killer robots morphed into compact cars and vans. Licorice swords sliced through an entire zombie horde like hot knives through butter.

"Look out!"

They jumped aside as a massive spiked club smashed the ground, it's owner a 20-foot-tall hairy giant. It started to pull the weapon out of the ground for a second attack, but the boys were too quick. Jumping onto the club, they ran up the giant's arms, leaped over its head, and drove their swords down its back. Howling in pain, the giant collapsed and poofed away.

* * *

"HEEEEEEELP!"

Up the block, Lori's friends Whitney and Becky were being dragged away by bloodthirsty ghouls.

"Hang on girls!" The boys fired on their captors, turning them to dust and freeing the captive princesses.

"Thank you!" They blew kisses, causing the boys to blush.

* * *

"MOMMY! MAKE THEM GO AWAY!" Poor little Darcy cried into her parents' arms as a crowd of evil clowns circled them.

"Cover your eyes!" The clowns honked and squealed as they were pelted with sweets, vanishing forever.

Wiping her tears, the giraffe girl waved to her saviors. "Thank you Misters!"

"God bless you!" her mom added.

* * *

"AWWWWWOOOOOOO!" A werewolf howled as it raced down the street, a goth bride in its arms.

"I'm actually okay with this," Haiku sighed, looking dreamily into the fierce, golden eyes of her captor.

"Get your paws off her!" One shot from Clyde's gun and the beast was gone.

"Sigh," Haiku walked off, gloomy as ever. "I knew I should've stuck to vampires."

* * *

"Lincoln, this…is…amazing!" Clyde squealed with excitement. "We really are heroes!"

"The real Ace and Jack would be proud," his friend agreed. "Hey, look who it is!"

"WE'RE NEVER CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN AGAIN!" High school bullies Hank and Hawk were running around, being chased by a giant-

"Blarney?"

" _Moo goes the cow, oink goes the pig/Watch me do me Irish jig_ ," the giant children's dinosaur sang, it's arms outstretched for a hug.

The boys stopped in their tracks and burst out laughing.

"You're-you're afraid…of BLARNEY?!" Clyde wheezed.

"HE RUINED OUR FIFTH BIRTHDAY!" The bullies wailed. "STAY BACK, WE DON'T WANT TO HUG YOU!"

Clyde nudged Lincoln, "Should we save them?"

"As long as we promise never to let them forget this."

"Deal."

They fired on the dinosaur and it poofed into…a guy in a Blarney costume.

"AHHHHHH!" The bullies shrieked and ran off. "HE'S REAL!"

"Thanks!" the Blarney guy waved to the boys before walking away.

"Okay, fun's over." Lincoln pointed forward. The dirt path to the festival was up ahead. In the distance, they could see the lit-up fairgrounds.

"Time to save my family."

* * *

 **Yeah, this one was short, but it's just the warm-up. Next up is the sisters (and Rita)!**


End file.
